Dense assembly of Gd2O3:0.05X3+ (X = Eu, Tb) nanorods into nanoscaled thin-films and their photoluminescence properties.

This paper presents a simple and effective oil-water interfacial self-assembly strategy to fabricate monolayer and bilayer nanofilms of densely packed Gd2O3:0.05X(3+) (X = Eu, Tb) nanorods with characteristic luminescence properties. In this process, Gd2O3:0.05X(3+) (X = Eu, Tb) nanotubes synthesized by a hydrothermal method are dispersed in deionized water; then, a certain amount of n-hexane is added to produce a hexane-water interface. With n-butanol added as initiator, the nanotubes are gradually trapped at the interface to form a densely packed nanofilm. A monolayer nanofilm of densely packed Gd2O3:0.05Eu(3+) nanorods is obtained after annealing. In addition, the bilayer nanofilm composed of Gd2O3:0.05X(3+) (X = Eu, Tb) nanorods still retains the luminescence properties of each monolayer nanofilm. Moreover, the adhesion of the film on the substrate is very strong, which is extremely beneficial for its future applications.